Love Will Thaw
by chelsietea
Summary: Things get tricky again in Storybrooke when new people from Arendelle show up asking for help and a dangerous, evil presence starts wandering around town, hunting down Elsa and anyone who stands in their way. When Regina thinks that after Marian's return things couldn't possibly go worse, she realizes just how wrong she is. Outlaw Queen with a touch of other ships.
1. Chapter One

**Hey there! This is my first ever fanfiction on Outlaw Queen, so I hope you'll like it. **

**Thanks to my amazing beta Fi (isthismagical on Tumblr) for helping me sorting out the mess I had written.**

**Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!**

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**Chapter One**

The cold air hit her, its icy fingers clawing at her cheeks, reddening her skin and making her shiver. The door closed behind her, the doorbell ringing in the distance. Regina let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding; it swirled up in a warm, little cloud, fighting against the freezing hug of the night. She wrapped her leather jacket more firmly around her and walked down the sidewalk, away from Granny's diner. She needed to clear her mind, calm down... think. She couldn't believe it: _she_ was back, Robin's first love, the mother of his child.

Her heart clenched painfully at the memory of a shocked Robin wrapping his son and his now-not-so-dead wife in a loving embrace. Struggling to choke back a sob, she promised herself she would not cry, not now, not ever. She was stronger than that. She had faced worse things and had always come out of them unhurt, unscathed - although back at the time her heart had been fiercely protected by a cold, hard wall of mistrust. Now she felt it bleeding, slowly and painfully falling apart piece by piece, as if someone was squeezing it hard. _Never trust anyone besides yourself and your own instincts_. _Love is weakness_, Cora's voice echoed loudly in her head. Regina seemed to have forgotten her most important lesson.

Her mouth twisted in a disgusted grimace and she shook her head, quickening her pace. The ticking of her heels sounded almost deafening in the ghastly silence that had settled over Storybrooke like a thick fog, cold and impenetrable. Dark clouds threatened overhead, but she thought better of returning home: images of red wine, a warm fireplace and tender kisses flashing through her mind.

_"Tinkerbell told me it was possible I could love again."_

_"It was me?" _

_"Yes. I was just too scared to approach you."_

_"Maybe it's all about timing."_

She inhaled sharply, remerging from her memories. It had been only hours, yet somehow already felt like a distant recollection. Regina gasped, suddenly realizing where she was. Trees stood tall and imposing in the dark night sky, their forms barely visible in the scarce light. She desperately needed a place to think and her feet had led her here, at the edge of the forest. Or had it been her mind? Or her heart? Was her entire body conspiring against her?

Resigned, she walked in, head high, scarf tight around her neck, hands in her pockets. It was colder here than at Granny's. She remembered the path she had walked the night she had first kissed him, she remembered following the soft light that shone not too far from where she stood. She had found him by the fire, blue eyes lost in bright red flames. He had been genuinely startled by her presence, like she had just burst the little bubble that cocooned him in gentle silence.

Finding their special spot this time around wasn't so easy. There was no moon and the few stars that shone weren't enough to light the forest for her. When she finally found the clearing, she was surprised to find the remains of what had been his fire, charred logs and ashes, lying on the cold, hard ground.

She blinked in surprise; a curious eerie light radiating from the charred remains, as if the ghost of Robin of Locksley was there to torment her. Or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. She could sense his presence in the woods, as if Robin himself was there with her. Sighing, she headed towards what remained of the fire he had built and ignited another with a simple flick of her wrist. The warmth of the flames felt marvelous. Regina sat on the same log he had sat on just a few days before and leaned her cheek on her closed hand, staring absentmindedly into the fire.

It was curious how she had fallen for Robin: fast and hard. With Daniel it had been a slow burning thing, they had known each other for years before falling in love.

With Robin it had just... happened. Even in the Enchanted Forest a strange sort of attraction underlay every one of their bickerings and fights. But it wasn't just attraction. She couldn't deny Robin attracted her like no one ever had, but it was also so much more than that. She felt like she had known him for her entire life, like their hearts shared the same beat, like their souls came from the same place. It was because they were soulmates, she supposed: their souls were like twins, woven and bound together since birth.

There had been a time where she had dreaded his lion tattoo: it had haunted her in her dreams, it symbolized her lack of courage in choosing good instead of evil. Eventually, she came to love it: it meant all that she was experiencing was not a dream. Robin was there, in flesh and bone, with her. Now she didn't know if she should actually hate the blasted thing. The tattoo wasn't just the symbol of their undeniable and insoluble bond, it also meant that, whatever they would do or choose, they couldn't help loving each other.

This realization hit her like a dagger piercing her heart. She could jump off a cliff, turn green or start her evil ways again, but there would always be a small part in him that would continue to care for her, even if his whole body and mind despised her.

Regina knew that even if he were to choose his wife over her, she would continue to care for him, to love him, because there was no way she could stop this now that she had let her walls down, now that he had managed to make his way through the crumbling mess that she was, now that her heart had been left unguarded.

What she felt for Robin was so powerful and inexplicable she had no control over it: it was mind blowing and terrifying. She felt weak, exposed, bared before a magic so mighty she couldn't explain, she couldn't control. It elated her, it frustrated her.

A shiver run down her spine and Regina clutched at the lapels of her jacket, drawing them closer around her, protecting herself from the freezing weather.

As she shuffled her feet on the ground, she heard a sudden rustling of leaves. She swiftly turned around, conjuring a fireball in her hand. She could have sworn she had seen a glimpse of blue.

"Who's there?!" she thundered. "Show yourself!"

"You can put that out, Regina," a soft voice came from behind the trees.

"Oh, it's just _you_," she spoke in an acid tone as soon as she was able to see who it was. "What are you doing here?"

Blue emerged from the shadows and moved forward into the clearing, her nun robes whirling around her ankles. "I came to check on you, Emma was worried."

Regina snorted, "Oh please, spare me the pep talk and your pity."

"I'm not here to give you a pep talk, or to pity you, just to check that you are alright."

"Well, now you have you can go and tell them I'm still alive. Not that anyone would care if I wasn't."

Blue neared her. "Regina, don't talk like that. You may have been evil in the past but we all know that's over now."

Fire ignited in Regina's dark eyes, fury erupted in her heart. "What, can you see the future now, as well as fly and spread some dust around, fairy? Have you evolved or something?" she spat.

Blue suppressed a sigh. "I mean it, Regina, we all know the things you've done for us, for this town. You saved us from Zelena."

"Tell me another tale, fairy, because it isn't working. I know that if something evil were to happen again, every finger would be pointed at me - and _you_ have always been one of those who suspected me."

The nun lowered her head, at a loss for words. "Tinkerbell wanted to come herself," she spoke in the end, after a poignant pause. "I told her it was best if she didn't."

Regina laughed, mockingly. "And I suppose you would be the right choice? Anyway, that fairy has created enough problems for me as it is."

A sigh escaped Blue's lips. "Regina, about what happened at Granny's..."

Regina held up a hand to stop her, "Don't!" she hissed, her voice betraying her emotions. "I don't want to talk about whatever you want me to, not with you or with anyone else."

The fairy opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted. "I'd be glad if you stopped this farce and quit using that patronizing motherly tone. Now _leave_!"

Blue stared back at her, holding her gaze. "Very well, your Majesty. As you wish," she answered coldly before turning on her heels.

Just when Regina thought she had got rid of the blasted fairy, Blue turned again in her direction. "Don't ruin your new chance at happiness, Regina. Be careful." And with those words she was gone.

Regina sat beside the flames until the cold became impossible for her to bear. After putting out the fire, she conjured up a fireball to use as a torch. She reached the main road without problems and reluctantly started making her way home. She crossed the road to the other side in order to pass in front of Granny's unnoticed. Unable to help herself, she glanced at the diner to see it there was any sign of Robin, Roland and Marian. But they must have left already.

Ignoring the painful pang in her heart, she strode purposefully towards her mansion. Once there she took the keys from one of her pockets and opened the door. A dreadful silence welcomed her home. She switched on the lights and took off her heels while walking, not bothering to put them away, abandoning them in the hallway. She avoided the kitchen and the living room, heading directly towards her bedroom.

Regina had just started removing her scarf and leather jacket when the doorbell rang.

Groaning she went downstairs only to yell, "Go away!"

"Regina, open up please!" Mary Margaret's voice came from outside.

Regina rolled her eyes and remained silent. She was making her way upstairs again when Snow banged on the door.

"Regina, it's important!" David's voice boomed.

Oh fantastic, the two idiots outside her house were just what she needed right now.

"I said: go - away!" she shouted, articulating the words.

"Regina -" David started.

"Regina, come out or I'll bang on this door until I bring it down!" came Snow's shrill response.

Growling in annoyance, she reached the door and swung it open, a dangerous expression on her face. "Just try it," she barked.

"Regina, please listen to us," Mary Margaret pleaded.

She made to close the door but David put his foot in.

"I'll cut that _off_," she hissed at him. "Get - off - my - porch."

"Not until you've listened to us," David affirmed.

Regina shifted her face from David's face to Snow's. She inhaled deeply before answering. If she didn't get this over with, she might never get rid of them - and at the moment she only wanted to go to bed. "Fine. What is it?"

Snow looked uneasy. "We may have a _little_ problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"A Kristoff and Anna kind of problem."


	2. Chapter Two

**Thank you so much for your support, I loved every single one of your reviews. Your follows and favourites mean so much to me.**

**Thanks to my beta Fi (isthismagic on Tumblr) and to my bb Ele (thejollyswann) for encouraging me to go on writing this story.**

**If you want to have a look at my Tumblr or just have a quick chat I'm prior-incantatem ;)**

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**Chapter Two**

Having begrudgingly accepted to help the Charmings, Regina followed them to their apartment. She hadn't the smallest clue of what the issue was; but someone had shown up asking for help, so she conceded even though it wasn't something she wanted to be doing at the time.

Regina sighed inwardly, she would give everything to return back to her house and have a long soak in the bathtub before going to bed. She didn't even know why she had accepted to help them instead of minding her own business; probably because the unCharmings would have gladly camped on her front porch if she hadn't.

A part of her knew that deep down she couldn't deny anything to Snow's doe eyed expression, while the other part violently refused to consider that her step daughter would cause even an inch of compassion or, God forbid, affection in her. She told herself she would only check what all of that fuss was about and then return home as quickly as she could. Who knew, maybe it could be something _really_ important.

As soon as Snow opened the door of her house, a startled cry came from behind the counter of the kitchen. Regina saw a short, thin girl, with auburn hair braided in two long tresses and scared, piercing blue eyes. She couldn't have been more than twenty years old.

David closed the door behind him gently, trying his best not to startle the girl. The redhead was now biting her lip, eyeing everyone suspiciously, especially Regina. Emma appeared behind her after a few seconds, followed by Hook.

"Where's Henry?" Regina asked, irritated and slightly concerned. The instinct to throttle Emma on the spot had passed now, however her stomach churned at the sight of her. She pushed her memories to the back of her mind and straightened her back.

"He's fine, Regina. He's in the other room, I just tucked him into bed," Emma kept herself from rolling her eyes at the other woman, but still felt a pang of guilt about her recent trip to the past and how the consequence had caused Regina so much pain.

Regina didn't reply. She just stood there, jaw set, her upper lip curled. Emma wasn't sure in what: disgust? Hatred? Annoyance? That woman was so hard to read sometimes.

Mary Margaret cleared her throat, "Why don't we all sit down?" she suggested in a lively, practical tone, attempting to break the tense atmosphere.

She pulled out a chair for the girl and encouraged her to sit. The young woman hesitated, looking expectantly to her left.

"Kristoff?" she called hesitantly in a weak voice.

A tall, broad shouldered man entered from the sitting room. Square jawed and strong, his hair so blond it almost looked like gold, he wore a grim but determined expression on his face.

He neared the girl and put his arm around her shoulders, gently guiding her to the table. She looked so tiny compared to him.

Once all of them were settled around the table, David took the floor.

"Why don't you tell us what happened to you both and how we might be able to help you?"

Snow stepped in, "I just ask you to keep your voices down, my son and grandson are sleeping in the next room."

Emma smiled knowingly. There was every chance that Henry was probably listening to every word they were saying right now instead of sleeping.

"We would like to know who _she_ is first," Kristoff mumbled, nodding towards Regina.

She cleared her throat, unblinking.

"I'm Regina Mills, mayor of this town, who has no idea why she's been called here at this hour," she concluded rather icily.

Kristoff seemed satisfied with her answer.

"I'm Anna and he's Kristoff," the girl commenced. "We're from Arendelle."

Emma and the Charmings seemed confused, only Hook and Regina spluttered an astonished: "Arendelle?"

Anna lowered her eyes. "It's a rather long story..."

"Make it short then," Regina said, more sharply than she had intended, earning a glare from Mary Margaret.

"What?" she replied rudely. "I want to go home as soon as possible".

"As do we!" Kristoff exclaimed, failing to keep the outrage from his voice.

"Yes," Anna nodded eagerly, "We lived in Arendelle but our kingdom was taken over by prince Hans of the Southern Isles and he -"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, girl!" Emma implored.

Anna straightened her back and looked the blonde in the eye. "I'm no girl, I'm the princess of Arendelle," she spoke in a composed, regal and more mature tone.

"And I am queen here in Storybrooke. Sorry to inform you, but titles don't really apply here," Regina replied sassily.

Anna looked at her wide-eyed, before pleading, "We just want you to help us defeat Hans and help us get back to our kingdom, we -"

"Oh, is that all, anything else? Do you want to go on a trip over the moon as well?" Regina asked.

"Regina, love, let her finish," Hook prompted, ignoring her heated glare.

Anna glanced thankfully at the pirate before continuing. "My sister Elsa started ruling the kingdom once she became of age, however we had a few troubles with Hans, my ex-fiancé, who tried to have me and her killed and took over the kingdom."

Everyone looked surprised at the picturing of her former fiancé but Anna ignored them. "We managed to stop him but he didn't let it go and he joined forces with my aunt Freya to take Elsa's throne. I don't know how, but they succeeded. They enlisted one thousand men and two thousand trolls, we were hopeless against them -"

"They probably made a deal with that imp," Kristoff interjected, "You know, the gold skinned man with magic..."

"Rumplestiltskin," the others chorused.

"That's it. I'm sure they made a deal with him."

"They probably have, otherwise they couldn't raise an army from nowhere," Regina commented.

"Anyway, Elsa was still learning to gain control of her magic, so we -"

"Wait," Emma interrupted. "Your sister has magic?"

"Yes, she can conjure ice and snow."

"No way, like in -" the Emma started, astonished.

"Like in _Frozen_!" came Henry's excited voice from the doorway. "It took you long enough to figure it out, mom."

"I haven't watched that movie yet, kid, you went to see it with your friends in New York."

"Yeah, because you had a _romantic_ dinner with Walsh," he blurted out.

"Oh yes, the monkey guy," Hook commented nonchalantly.

Emma just stared at him with her mouth hanging open, at a loss for words.

Regina ended the embarrassing silence, sighing. "Henry, sweetheart, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"But you guys need my help, you didn't even know what they were talking about! At least I saw Frozen! Besides I could hear all you were saying, so I couldn't sleep anyway."

"Well then, come and sit," David said, resigned.

Henry smiled when they made room for him to sit between Charming and Hook.

"Who is he?" asked Kristoff suspiciously.

"My son," both Regina and Emma answered at the same time.

"Never mind that now," Regina said shortly when she saw Anna and Kristoff's bewildered expressions. "Henry, do you remember something else from Frozen?" she asked him.

"Anna and her sister lost their parents when they were barely teenagers. Elsa was confined to her room since she was a child. This was because she could harm other people by accident because of her powers."

"Yes," Anna confirmed. "She hurt me when I was around three and she was six. The trolls managed to heal me and -"

"Wait, _trolls_ healed you?" Snow exclaimed in shock.

"The mountain trolls are _good_ trolls, they'd never hurt a fly!" Kristoff said defensively.

"That's right," Anna piped in. "My sister always had problems controlling her powers. I didn't see her for several years until she was twenty one and was ready to take over as ruler of the kingdom. During the coronation party I managed to upset her and she lost control of her powers. She fled from the castle and froze our entire realm. I set off to look for her, leaving my fiancé Hans in charge. During my quest I met Kristoff, who helped me find Elsa and rescued me many times," she paused to put her hands on Kristoff's and he smiled for the first time since he arrived.

"Elsa froze my heart accidentally and only an act of true love could save me."

"I brought her back to the castle for Hans to kiss her, but she discovered he only wanted the kingdom and he left her alone to die."

Anna squeezed Kristoff's hand. "But I didn't die."

"No, but you very well could have!"

"It was the thought of you that kept me alive," Anna smile tenderly at him.

The Charmings instantly looked at each other and Hook leaned closer to Emma, who seemed uneasy. Regina bit her lip to stop it from quivering. It wouldn't do for her to tear up, not now.

She inhaled deeply, wishing she could erase the memories of Robin's face and cheeky smile from her mind. "What happened then?" she managed to ask, trying to keep the underlying emotions in check.

"I froze completely, but not before saving my sister from death by Hans' hands. That is what saved me".

"An act of true love," Henry commented excitedly.

"That's right, Henry," the girl confirmed, smiling at him. "Elsa eventually thawed the entire realm; however she still had lots to learn on how to control her magic. That's when Hans and my aunt Freya started to cause trouble."

Henry looked confused. "I thought you had banished Hans from Arendelle."

"We did, but he came back, stronger than ever. Elsa and I fled through a portal, Kristoff however was held back and captured by Hans."

"How did you manage to break free?"

"I made a deal with Rumplestiltskin," came Kristoff's voice in a flat, serious tone.

They all heard Anna's sharp intake of breath. "You did _what_?!"

"I needed to get to you, alright?!" he scoffed.

"You didn't tell me!"

"I would have, in time! You had lost your memories when I found you, I couldn't very well say _'hey there I'm your long lost husband who has made a deal with an imp to find you_'!"

Anna was still looking at him with her mouth hanging open. She swallowed asking, "What have you promised him in exchange for freedom?"

Kristoff hesitated. Before he could reply, the door burst open and a thick British accent reached their ears. "You guys have found Regina? I looked for her everywhere and gods, it's freezing out there."

Kristoff looked at the man who had just entered the room and his face broke into a wide smile. "Robin?"

The archer raised his head and his eyes widened in surprise. "Kristoff!"

Regina gulped. The last person she wanted to see at that moment had just entered the Charmings' apartment.

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**And this is where I start having fun.**

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Kristoff rose from the chair and embraced Robin, patting him on the back.

The archer let out a roar of joy. "It's good to see you again, my friend."

"The same goes for me."

Robin looked over at the table with a wide grin on his face. However, when his eyes settled on Regina, his smile faded. "Milady, I'm glad to find you here," he spoke in a soft tone.

She barely nodded, her heart beating wildly in her chest, her throat so tight she feared she might choke on her words. She wasn't ready to see him, not now; her brain still needed to process everything.

"Robin, won't you sit?" Snow asked, pointing to a chair next to the wall. He took it and sat next to Kristoff, directly in front of Regina.

"So, what's happened?" he asked them.

"Before we start again, may I present you my wife, Anna?" Kristoff said.

Robin nodded. "Anna? You finally found her?"

The blond man smiled tenderly, looking at Anna lovingly. "I did."

Behind him, Anna leaned towards Robin to look at him. "So, you're Robin of Locksley. Kristoff spoke very highly of you; he said you helped him open a portal to get to me."

"That I did, milady," Robin confirmed. "I couldn't stand and watch as Kristoff lost his true love," he continued, while his eyes travelled over Regina, who was stubbornly avoiding his gaze.

"How long have you two known each other?" Snow said, asking what Regina had been dying to know the answer to.

"When I escaped from Hans' prison, I found myself in this place you call Enchanted Forest. I wandered many nights and days looking for Anna, before arriving at the Dark One's castle, in which I found Robin and his men."

The other man smiled fondly at the memory. "Kristoff told me his story and I decided to help him. We managed to get a crystal ball working and -"

"Hold on, you don't have magic as well, do you?" Hook asked.

Snow shook her head. "True love is the most powerful magic of all," she squeezed David's hand. "I suppose that's how you got the crystal ball working?"

Kristoff nodded and Regina clenched her teeth to prevent a shiver from running down her spine. "_Pixie dust never lies_," Tinkerbell's voice echoed in her head.

"Eventually I saw that Anna wasn't in the Enchanted Forest anymore, but in a city called New York."

"Yes, because the imp lied to me about your whereabouts!" Anna protested angrily. "It's all my fault if Elsa is lost to me forever."

"What happened to your sister?" Henry wondered.

"When we went through the portal we found ourselves in the Enchanted Forest and met Rumplestiltskin. He offered to help us find Kristoff, but he wanted to make a deal. He would tell me where my fiancé was if he got Elsa in exchange. My sister, despite my protests, sacrificed herself for me, so that the imp could perform a tracking spell on my engagement ring, which should transport me to the realm where Kristoff was. I expected to be back in Arendelle but it didn't work, I never found Kristoff, I never left the Enchanted Forest - so I kept wandering in your realm. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself in a town called Storybrooke. I didn't recall being Anna, my name there was Rosamund," she scrunched up her nose in disgust. Regina rolled her eyes.

"You were involved in the first curse? How come we never saw you in town?" Mary Margaret asked.

"And how come we never saw you back in the Enchanted Forest after Pan's curse and when we were brought back here by Zelena?" Regina asked.

"You see, I was the first one to leave Storybrooke. I had no one here: no family and no friends, I felt I had no roots. I felt the need to leave and I did, a few days after the Evil Queen's curse was enacted." Regina winced at her old nickname but was grateful that neither the girl nor the blond giant had realized she was the one they were talking about. She didn't know if she could handle their reaction right now.

"And by leaving town," Anna went on, "I lost my memories of being Rosamund. I have been a completely different person twice. When Kristoff finally managed to find me, I was already married to another, but our love won in the end."

Although she was looking everywhere but at him, Regina knew Robin was staring intently at her. It felt like a punch in the stomach. Anna's words seemed to burn in her heart, igniting a fickle, insignificant spark of hope that the rationality of her mind was quick to put out.

"I managed to make her remember by giving her true love's kiss -" Regina realized Kristoff had continued explaining -" because I had succeeded in making her fall in love with me. She then remembered being Anna and came with me to look for Elsa. We arrived in town yesterday and heard all about the stories of Snow White and the Evil Queen, of Peter Pan and Zelena. That Leroy is quite a talkative one, especially if one buys him drinks. Since he spoke so highly of you, Mary Margaret, we decided to ask you to help us."

_Great_, Regina thought. _A drunk blabbering dwarf led them to us. How lucky we are._

"What about your husband?" Emma asked.

"I ended the relationship. We were both devastated about it but it wouldn't have worked anyway. Not when I have Kristoff."

"So you're not really married?" Hook pressed.

"Not yet, but it's as if we already are." Anna leaned in to place her head on Kristoff's shoulder.

"Have you found out what has happened to your sister?" Henry questioned eagerly.

"Unfortunately no, I haven't seen her since we escaped from Arendelle. That's why we are here, to ask you to help us find her."

"You should talk to Mr Gold then.

"

"Mr Gold?" Kristoff sounded confused. "Who is he?"

"Rumplestiltskin. He is called Mr Gold in Storybrooke," David explained.

"That imp is here? Where is he?!" Anna burst out, standing up.

"He's here, yes, but he might be somewhat busy," Mary Margaret hinted.

"I have no intention to go looking for him; God knows what I might find," Regina mumbled, horrified, while Hook chuckled quietly.

"What do you mean?" Kristoff asked in confusion.

"He's on his honeymoon".

The forest was dark, the hour late. A man was wandering among the trees, obviously upset.

He stumbled across a large trunk that had been cut down and he climbed over it, before hearing a voice. It belonged to a woman, hidden in the shadows. "Well then?"

"Oh, you're here. I thought you were still where I had left you. I looked for you everywhere."

"I wanted to remain where we had agreed to meet again," the woman replied, annoyance showing clearly on her face, "but someone came into the clearing and I had to hide before she discovered my presence."

"She? Since when does a simple woman scare _you_?"

"I'm not easily scared by _men_ either," she pointed out icily. "But she has magic and I don't want to lose any of my strength."

"She has magic?"

"Dark magic. She conjured up a fireball without difficulty."

"At least she conjures fire instead of ice, you could learn from her," his tone was serious, although he was smirking. "Does this complicate things?"

"Not if we are careful."

"We will be."

"Have you found my niece?" she changed the subject abruptly.

"Not yet. But she must be here somewhere."

"That's the discovery of the year," the woman rolled her eyes. "Have you found something of interest in your patrol?"

"No, just trees and a camp."

"What camp?" the woman frowned.

"There was a bunch of men camping in the woods. A woman and a child too."

"How many?"

"About twenty I think. Excluding the child and the mother."

"That's not much but it's still something. Keep a close eye on them, learn who their leader is and we might make them our allies."

"You certainly think of good plans."

"Of course I do," she said advancing a few paces towards him, so that her face was no longer kept in the darkness. She was a tall, slender woman of around forty, with hair so fair it seemed almost white and eyes so blue they could freeze you on the spot. "Why do you think I'd be ruling Arendelle if I didn't make good plans?"

"Because I helped you taking over the kingdom," he answered truthfully.

She laughed, "You flatter yourself, Hans." She neared him, her face no longer smiling, her expression dangerous.

The man fought hard to keep himself from shivering. It was damn cold and being so close to her didn't help.

She leaned towards him. "Find Elsa, and soon," she hissed, her eyes glimmering ferociously. "Or you'll see firsthand how good I am at killing people."

After they had agreed on meeting the next day to discuss matters further, Anna and Kristoff left them to their own devices, returning at Granny's.

Emma and Hook had left a few minutes before and David had gone to put Henry to bed.

"Regina," Mary Margaret called, before she could leave.

She stopped in her tracks, turning slowly towards her step daughter. "What _now_?"

Snow cleared her throat. "I know that what happened tonight isn't easy, not for you and especially not for him..." Regina glared at her. "... but you'll come out of this together, you'll see. You just have to believe in yourselves and in your love."

Regina bit her tongue to avoid snapping at her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mary Margaret tilted her head to the side, giving her a pitiful, almost patronizing smile. "I think you do."

Regina feigned ignorance. "When and _if_ I ever need your advice I will _ask_ for it. Goodnight."

Snow sighed. "Goodnight."

Regina wrapped her scarf around her neck as the cold night air hit her. Really, how did it become so cold in a few hours? She hadn't yet made it past corner of the street when someone gently grasped her wrist from behind, knocking the breath out of her. She gasped in surprise, turning around to find herself face to face with Robin.

"You made me jump," she managed to say, breathless.

"I'm sorry milady, it wasn't my intention startling you," he confessed, staring deep into her eyes with a look that Regina knew all too well. He still hadn't loosened his grip on her. His touch set her skin on fire.

She sighed resignedly. "What is it?!"

"Regina, we need to talk."

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**If you'd be so kind to drop me a review I'll make you cookies and ship them worldwide.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Regina swallowed. "Very well then, let's talk," she conceded, starting to walk down the sidewalk.

He rolled his eyes and jogged slightly to keep up with her. "About what happened today, I..."

Regina quickened her pace, her heels clicking loudly on the sidewalk. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Robin."

He placed himself in front of her, making her stop abruptly to avoid colliding with him. "I think you deserve an explanation," he said determinedly, following her when she started walking away again.

"Where's your wife?" she couldn't help but ask him, the words escaping her mouth in a tone colder and sharper than she had intended.

"She's with my men and Roland back at the camp."

Regina nodded , continuing to pace without even sparing him another glance.

He groaned in frustration and took her by the arm, making her turn to face him. She gasped and looked at him, outraged. "How dare -"

"Look, I know what has just happened complicates things," he admitted. "Marian's return shocked me greatly as well, I do not deny it, but you need to know that I -"

Her eyes, which were settled on his face, suddenly grew wide and she gently touched his arm, meaning for him to turn. He broke off mid-sentence, alarmed by her reaction. "What...?"

"The street," Regina explained. "It's frozen."

Robin looked at the scene unfolding before him, his mouth hanging open in surprise. A thick layer of ice covered the street, spreading in all directions.

"What's happening?" he demanded. It was magic, he knew. It couldn't be anything else.

"I think I may have an idea, but I need to confirm it," Regina said. Her mind was racing, thinking of several possibilities, though she knew which one was the most likely. "I'll go and check what's happened," she made to leave but stopped once she heard Robin's voice.

"I'll come with you."

"It's _not_ necessary."

"I'll come with _you_," his tone was defiant, denying any objections.

"Fine," she surrendered. "Seems like I got myself a partner - even if I didn't ask for one," Regina commented dryly.

The smiles that lit up both their faces were short lived. Regina was the first to tear her eyes away from his smiling face, his bright eyes and the dimples she loved so much. She couldn't stand his charming smile, not now.

Practical sense kicked in and they started following the ice path, hoping to find its origin. They discovered it had covered a great part of the road and was starting to envelop the houses facing the street in a cold, suffocating embrace.

"It leads to the forest," Robin noticed, now more alarmed than ever. He crossed the street and started walking towards the woods, Regina at his side, trying her best to keep up despite wearing her heeled boots.

They had almost reached the edge of the forest when Regina slipped and fell. She let out a yelp but she was saved by something warm and solid around her, breaking her fall.

Her heart thumping in her chest, Regina realized Robin had caught her, his right arm under her arm pit, his left draped across her chest, just below her breasts, holding her firmly against him.

She fought the urge to rest her head against his chest and have him place his chin on top of her head, inhaling her scent as she basked in the delightfulness of being in his arms...

"Are you alright?" his gentle voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes," she replied uneasily. His nearness rendered her a little breathless. She reluctantly released herself from his grasp. "Thank you for catching me," she murmured, lowering her eyes and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She couldn't return his gaze, not with what was passing through her mind now. _She wasn't his. He wasn't hers._

"It was my pleasure, Regina," he politely responded, staring at her so intensely she felt his eyes boring through her skull.

She briefly thought of getting rid of her heeled boots to avoid slipping again, but she couldn't possibly go wandering around in her stockings, could she?

"I'll lead the way," Robin announced, taking an arrow from the quiver strapped across his back and drawing his bow.

She conjured a fireball, kneeling down to light up a piece of wood. "And I'll make some light for us to see."

They entered the forest. Regina marveled at how Robin could move with such agility; he was as light as a feather even on slippery, cracking ice. He was walking as silent as a cat, barely visible in the darkness; no wonder he had been able to drive noblemen crazy with his skills in thievery.

They wandered for about a mile, walking on either side of the frozen path, until they came to the boundaries of the woods. "It looks like it goes on," Robin noticed, a frown on his face. "But if it does go on then..."

"It probably ends there," Regina concluded, pointing at the barn where she had defeated Zelena and where Robin had got her heart back. The mere thought of it was enough to make her want to rip her heart out all over again.

With the torch held firmly in her hand, she proceeded in front of Robin, lighting the way.

Just as they reached the entrance to the barn Regina stopped dead in her tracks, Robin almost bumping into her.

"What is it?" he wondered, his warm breath tickling the nape of her neck and making her shiver. The temperature in the barn didn't help, it was freezing.

"The ice ends here," Regina murmured. "You know what this means?"

Robin stood silent, waiting for her to continue. "It means that Emma and Hook didn't just bring back your wife."

The warmth of the fire against her skin felt marvelously good. Marian brought her cloak tighter against herself, enveloping her and Roland in a warm, fluffy hug.

It was almost too good to be true: having her baby back in her arms, so handsome and grown up, it seemed like she had lost track of time.

While Robin accompanied her and Roland to the camp, she had questioned her husband about what happened to him while she was being held captive. His answers had been short and evasive - he was happy to see her, but at the same time... she couldn't quite put her finger in it: was he shocked? And why would he be?

She was still very much confused, Princess Leia (or Emma, as they called her here) had told her that she was not supposed to be alive and that she and Prince Charles would bring her to another realm in the future. She thought she would never see her family again but instead... they lived in Storybrooke, in the future, along with Tuck and Little John, Snow White and her prince and with _her_, the Evil Queen. How was it possible?

Roland had only been a few months old when she was captured and now he had proudly held up four fingers to show her how much he had grown. Four years had passed? She couldn't believe it.

Had she really died by the hand of the Evil Queen? Had she really left Robin to raise their son alone? She tightened her grip on her sleeping child, who snuggled closer between her breasts.

A tear escaped from her lashes, streaming down her cheek. Poor, sweet, trusting Roland, sleeping in the arms of a stranger that he had been taught to call mother but that he didn't even recall.

In the cold darkness, Marian silently vowed that she would never let her child go ever again.

"What do you mean they brought back someone else besides Marian?" Robin asked her, alarmed.

"Obviously someone capable of conjuring ice has come through the portal with them, I don't think they have come out of nowhere, it's too much of a coincidence."

"Yes, I believe you're right."

"So this means that either Elsa is heading to town or she's hiding in the woods."

"Hold on, Elsa?"

"Yes, who do you think -"

A creak made them turn around, looking for intruders. They stood back to back and then started walking in a circular motion, Robin with his bow drawn, Regina ready to shoot fireballs if necessary.

Suddenly Regina saw something moving and gasped. Robin turned in her direction and shot an arrow so quickly he knocked the air out of her. Hearing a yelp of pain, Robin grinned triumphantly at his success.

Regina raised her arm, fireball burning hot in her hand. "You there, stop! Show yourself!"

The intruder fled, blue robes billowing in the night. Regina threw a fireball at it, cursing loudly when she missed the target by a few inches.

"Who was it?" Robin asked her.

"I have no idea."

"Did you manage to see something? Hair, clothes, build?"

"Just a glimpse of a blue dress," Regina said. "I have already seen it in the forest but it was just a nun's robe," she told him, still peeved about having missed her target. She rarely missed when it came to throwing fireballs.

"The forest?" Robin inquired, "When were you in the forest?"

"A few hours ago. I needed a breath of fresh air."

"Fresh air in the forest? At night? Alone? Regina, there's someone dangerous going around here and -"

"Well obviously I didn't know of Elsa's existence at the time, did I? And I seriously doubt that girl could do me any harm. I can take care of myself without you to coddle me every time."

" I do not coddle you," he protested. "I'm merely worried for you." His voice had gone soft and she hated it, hated him for being... himself. "I wouldn't want anything bad happening to you, Regina. I -"

She interrupted him in mid-sentence, tearing her eyes away from his face. "Don't," she warned him, her voice dripping with emotion. "Don't say things you don't mean."

"But I do mean it. You _know_ that."

She couldn't stand him looking at her that way, like he was baring his very soul to her, like he was ripping his heart out of his chest for her to see the truth of his words. Like he had nothing to hide.

She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the truthfulness of his words, or the honesty of his habits. It was unnerving.

She inhaled deeply before changing the subject. "What are we going to do about this?"

Robin seemed lost in a world of his own, still staring at her. "What? Oh, about Elsa you mean?"

Regina nodded, glad he had let the previous subject drop, although she knew he would return to the topic soon; he was as stubborn as a mule.

"Do you think she might be dangerous?" he asked worriedly.

"She might, she has very little control over her own powers."

"If she is in the woods by all means I need to go and check on Roland and Marian." There was worry in his eyes.

She nodded again, her throat tight. "I'll come with you," she managed to say, her voice ridiculously thin.

"Regina, listen..."

"No, you listen to _me_," she interrupted him, her voice returned to its normal tone. "If you're going to check on Roland, then I'm coming as well!"

Her concern for his little boy warmed his heart. "Thank you," he replied and he meant it.

She made to follow him, but he stopped. He turned towards her, his face a mask of seriousness. "Don't think you've escaped the talk. When this is all over, Regina, we will _talk_."

"Alright," she murmured, his determination taking her aback. She dreaded the day already.

They went through the forest once again and Robin guided her to his camp. It was really cold and he considered aloud the possibility of bringing his men and especially Roland someplace warmer, maybe Granny's. Regina agreed with him.

As soon as Robin entered the camp, Little John, who was on watch, went over to him. "Robin, what happened? Why did they call you so late at night? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll explain everything to you later, my friend."

Little John nodded in understanding and, after muttering a greeting to Regina, wandered off to his place by the fire, while a cloaked figure approached them. It was Marian.

Regina observed her while she walked towards them: she was really pretty. Her skin had an olive tone and seemed smooth and soft. Her long, wavy, luxurious dark hair fell down her shoulders in soft ringlets. Roland had obviously inherited his mother's curls, along with her big, dark eyes, while his fair complexion and rosy lips were the same as his father.

"Robin, you're back!" she exclaimed, relieved.

Once she neared them, Regina noticed she had Roland asleep in her arms and she felt a painful tug at her heart.

Robin opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by his wife's sharp tone. "Why are you with _her_?"

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**Feedback is always welcomed, it makes me a better writer!**


	5. Chapter Five

**Thanks for the follows, favourites and reviews! I love you, people!**

**Many thanks to Fi for beta magic.**

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**Chapter Five**

Robin winced at his wife accusation tone. "Marian, please..."

"Don't Marian me, Robin! You know how she is!" she spat angrily at him.

"Yes, I know her and she is not what you think."

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation but since you're talking about me, might I remind you that I'm standing right here," Regina pointed out.

Marian ignored her. "You _know_ her?" she mocked him. "Yesterday you were planning to help Snow White escape from her and now you're companionably strolling with her in the forest! Not to mention you leaving me here with Roland while you went off God knows where!"

Neither Robin nor Regina had the courage to tell her that more than a few days had passed since her and Robin had seen each other for the last time.

"There was an emergency, Marian. I had to go and check what was happening. Two people have asked for our help. That's what we did in Sherwood, Marian. We helped people in need," he reminded her in a low and reproachful tone.

"Who were they?" she asked.

"I'll explain it to you later. What's most important is that there's someone wandering the woods. We don't know who it is for sure or whether it has evil intentions, so be careful and, most of all, don't leave Roland wandering around by himself," his breath came in warm puffs. "It's freezing out here, why aren't you in the tent?"

"I was waiting for you. I was worried," Marian answered.

"What about Roland?" he asked after a moment's pause.

"He fell asleep in my arms," she stated.

"Don't you think he might be cold? Look how snuggled up he is into your embrace; he's clearly cold." He reached for his son but she retreated, holding Roland tight.

"Don't tell me what to do with my child!" she hissed.

"He's my child too, Marian," he said patiently.

"But I'm his mother, I know what's best for him!"

"Not right now, you don't," Robin stated.

"Don't you dare imply -" Marian started, but stopped midsentence when she felt Roland stir.

The child sighed contentedly before murmuring, his voice thick with sleep, "Mama?"

"Hello, Roland," Marian greeted him sweetly. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"Is Papa back?" he asked, yawning.

"He is."

"Has he found 'Gina?" the boy asked hopefully.

Regina felt her heart sing and she couldn't help the smile that lit up her face, which Robin didn't miss. Marian stiffened.

"I'm right here, sweetheart," Regina replied and Robin noticed how much her voice softened. Roland turned towards her in his mother's arms and he smiled widely, his dimples more marked than ever. He wiggled in Marian's embrace, making it clear he wanted her to put him down. Marian obliged, her lips set in a thin line.

He waddled towards Regina as fast as his little legs would allow and hugged her legs. She kneeled down in front of him, overwhelmed by his affection. "Hello, Roland," she murmured.

"I missed you, 'Gina," he confessed. "Why did you leave me and Papa before? Papa was worried for you. He bringed us here and he searched for you."

Regina's eyes widened at the child's revelation but she didn't dare glance at Robin. "I needed to be alone for a while, Roland. Besides your mother was with you," she added, forcing a smile.

"But I wanted you too," he whined.

"And now I'm here," she whispered to him, a small smile tugging at her lips. He nodded eagerly, before embracing her.

She heard Marian's sharp intake of breath before she hugged him back, bringing him closer to her, one hand on his head, caressing his curls, the other holding his little body tightly to hers. She inhaled his sweet scent and she remembered the time when he had fallen asleep on her, when he had come over with Robin for dinner. It seemed like a lifetime ago now...

"Come, Roland, let's put you to bed," Marian said curtly.

He looked uncertainly into Regina's eyes and she nodded. "Go with your Mama."

Roland let go of her and wandered off to his mother, taking hold of her hand and following her. As soon as they disappeared in the woods, an uncomfortable silence settled between Regina and Robin.

Taking a deep breath Regina asked the question she had been dying to know the answer. "You really went to look for me?"

He stared at her. "As soon as I noticed you weren't at Granny's I took Roland and Marian back to the camp and then set off in search for you. I met David, who asked me to meet him and Snow at their apartment in half an hour. When I arrived, you were already there, thankfully."

She just stared at him as he spoke, not sure what to say.

"Regina, I -" He made to move closer and take her hand in his but a rustling of leaves announced Marian's return.

"I asked Little John to put him to bed," she announced.

Regina glanced at her watch. "It's rather late, I should go."

"I'll accompany you," Robin instantly offered.

"There is no need."

"I insist," his tone admitted no arguments

"I need to talk to you, Robin", said Marian, her voice low and dangerous.

He turned towards his wife, whose hands were clenched into fists. "I'll return very soon. _Then_ we can talk," his tone was final. This time, Marian had no objections.

He gestured for Regina to start walking ahead of him and she did, without sparing a single glance at Marian. It was obvious the other woman didn't like her; she imagined it must be hard to forget all the things her evil self had done to them (she knew it better than anyone, for forgiveness didn't come easy to her), but did Marian dislike her only because she was the Evil Queen? She couldn't help but wonder if Roland's mother felt threatened by her relationship with Robin.

But it didn't show that much, did it? The only thing she had done in front of her was talk to the man and hold his child... she froze. _Hold his child._

Marian wasn't stupid; if Regina was so familiar with the son, she must be familiar with the father as well. And she obviously didn't trust her. After all who would trust the Evil Queen near their family?

Also, the fact that Marian, despite Emma having told her the truth at the start, apparently still thought just a few days had passed since her capture and escape, was another issue. Exiting the forest, Regina spoke, walking quickly. "You need to explain to Marian that we are not in the year she thinks we are. She is obviously confused about it all. You need to tell her about my curse and -"

He stopped her by placing his hand on her arm, spinning her around. "I'm going to tell her about us."

His statement left Regina staring at him stupidly, open mouthed for a second before she recovered herself.

"I'm not stopping you," she said plainly. "You must have a death wish," she commented. He didn't laugh.

She started walking again. "I'm serious, Regina," he stressed, as they finally reached her house. "I'll break the matter to her gently, after explaining all the curses this town went through."

She turned abruptly to face him upon reaching her door. "Look, Robin, it's not my business what you say or don't say to your wife."

"But this matter regards you as well and Marian deserves to know the truth."

Regina nodded. "As you wish," she cut him short, before opening the door.

"Regina, I -" he started.

"Robin, please. It's been a tiring day, I don't want to discuss these things now."

He seemed taken aback by her retort and a bit disappointed as well. "Of course. I'm sorry."

Her expression softened. "Don't be sorry, Robin. It's not your fault."

He half smiled and reached out to caress her cheek but she stepped back into her house, her hand on the door handle and a grimace on her face. She was looking at him as if his touch might burn her. "Goodnight, Robin."

"Goodnight, milady," he replied melancholy, his head unconsciously low.

As Regina watched him going away from her, she called for him again. "Thank you for walking me home."

He seemed surprised by that. It wasn't any day that Regina Mills let you walk her home like she was some damsel in distress and then thank you for it. "Anytime, Regina," he answered sincerely, before turning the corner and disappearing from her sight. With a sigh Regina closed the door behind her.

He started by kissing her hard on the mouth, his hands travelling down her body as a moan escaped her, which only provoked him further. He then kissed his way down her throat and by then she was panting heavily, her hands gripping his shoulder tightly, arching her body towards him.

"Oh, Rumple," she sighed, making his heart soar. He grinned stupidly at her, feeling like the happiest man on earth.

She raised herself on her tiptoes to kiss him again, sweetly and reverently, his hands travelling down the smooth skin of her arms when he stopped.

He had felt it. Suddenly he felt a tingle running down his body, like a cold hand ghosting over his spine.

"Rumple, what is it?" Belle asked, concerned by his look. She stared at him dumbfounded as he grabbed his cane and walked down the stairs. "Rumple?" her voice echoing in the stairwell.

He stepped into his shop and turned on the light. Someone had been there, he could feel it. His magic had felt another magical presence.

He started looking around to check everything was ok. Satisfied every item seemed to be in its rightful place, he made to turn off the light but then he froze on the spot... No, it couldn't be!

"Damn!" he shouted in frustration, as realization dawned on him.

"Rumple, what happened?" Belle appeared in the doorway.

He glanced at her, a deep frown on his face. "Someone has broken into the shop."

"Oh no, have they taken something important?"

"Yes, they have. A magical mirror."

By the time Robin returned to his camp, every light was out, including the one in his tent. He knew Marian was waiting for him.

Upon entering, her saw her sitting next to their sleeping son, a big smile on her face as she watched his peaceful slumber. He stood at the entrance of the tent for a few minutes; he couldn't help watching his family reunited together after a very long time. It seemed only yesterday Roland was born, instead four years had passed. A voice in his mind reminded him that time had frozen for them as well, so almost three decades had passed since Regina had first cast her curse. It seemed impossible even to him, if he wasn't living into this situation he wouldn't think it likely. He could understand Marian's struggle in believing it.

He cleared his throat and his wife turned to him. "Oh, you're back."

"Shall we talk?" he gestured for them to go outside.

She nodded and followed him. It was freezing cold and Robin noted he should try to rent rooms at Granny's for himself and his men. Roland needed to stay warm.

"I don't like the queen near you and Roland," Marian spoke first. He turned to face her, suppressing a sigh.

"Marian we've already been through this."

"I don't care, she's evil."

"But she's changed!"

"After all she's done to us, you believe her stories!"

"I _know_ her, Marian."

"Who knows what she did to you and Roland -" she continued unabashed.

"She did nothing -" he tried to protest.

"She might have bewitched you in order for you to like her -"

"Stop talking about her like that!" he finally snapped, his hands balled up into fists, his nostrils flaring.

"Why should I? When she -"

"Stop!" he couldn't bear to hear her talk like that, she had never behaved herself that way, he remembered how she had always a gentle word for everyone, even for hopeless men. What had happened to her?

"She was the one who imprisoned me, Robin!" she burst out finally, shouting at him.

His eyes widened. _That was what had happened to her._

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**Don't hate on poor Marian please! She's just struggling with a whole new world and a completely different timeline!**

**PS. Drop me a review, pretty please? :)**


	6. Chapter Six

******I reasearched Elsa and Anna's family tree and apparently their parents are called Agdar and Igdun, so I chose to write them off like Edgar and Idina, more English like. Also I didn't like the idea of Igdun being the only one to have a foreign name when her sisters are called Freya and Primrose (Rapunzel's parents are called Primrose and Thomas, apparently).**

******Thanks for your amazing support so far!**

******PS: CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SEASON PREMIERE IS TODAY? BECAUSE I CAN'T, I'M SO EXCITED! *bring on the angst bro***

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**Chapter Six**

As Regina begrudgingly made her way to the Charmings the following morning, she realized how much the temperature had dropped. If Elsa was really out there, they needed to talk to her as soon as possible before she froze everyone's asses off. Although she had bundled up more than the day before, she regretted not having worn her coat, stupidly thinking the weather would remain stable. Not the case however as she saw small snowflakes had started descending from the sky, settling on the street, the trees, the rooftops and in her hair.

She opened the door and entered the Charmings' home with a groan of displeasure. As she took off her jacket and passed a hand through her hair to get rid of the snow, she heard voices coming from the kitchen. "Maybe it's not the best thing if he's in the same room as them; they won't like it and might not trust us anymore!" Mary Margaret said.

"Of course they'll trust us; we're the only hope they have!" Charming stressed.

"Besides if Rumple is here he might have the answer to our doubts," Emma pointed out.

"Have I missed something?" Regina asked, stepping into the kitchen. The Charmings turned to look at her.

"Mr Gold is coming over," Emma replied.

"I see. Well, best get things over with," Regina commented. "If he's coming here at least he'll fill the holes in Anna's story."

They didn't have to wait much longer for the man in question, who came with Belle. Soon after, the door opened revealing Hook and Robin. Regina's breath caught and she chastised herself - she wasn't a teenager anymore and hated how her heart fluttered and her stomach dropped every time he entered the same room as her.

"So, any new developments? Apart from our new arrivals, that is," Hook asked smirking at Belle, who just slowly shook her head in exasperation.

"I have," Rumple started, ignoring the pirate's jab. "But I understand we are waiting for others to join us."

"Actually Regina and I have some news as well," Robin announced.

"Do you mean...?" Charming started, his eyes wide and his expression a mix of astonishment and confusion, while his eyes shifted from Regina to Robin.

"Not that kind of news, you _idiot_!" Regina snapped hotly, unconsciously bringing her hands to her stomach, red blotches of embarrassment covering her neck. Thankfully she was still wearing her scarf. She saw Robin smile slightly at the thought from the corner of her eye, before his expression darkened and he lowered his head, shuffling his feet on the floor.

Hook had just opened his mouth to comment when the door burst open again, revealing a breathless Anna, followed by a red faced Kristoff. "I'm sorry we're late!" she apologized to no one in particular. "We tried to get here as soon as we could but -" she stopped mid sentence, staring at the table where they sat. "YOU!" she shouted, pointing at Rumplestiltskin. "Why are you here?!" her voice was high pitched.

"I'm here because they called me, dearie," he explained with poise.

Anna threw herself at the table, her hands gripping its edge tight, her knuckles turning white, hissing, "What have you done with my sister?" Her face was contorted in an expression that could make a grown man cower in a corner, her blue eyes narrowing and her upper lip trembling in rage.

Rumple, however, did not flinch. "I did nothing except keep my word."

"You didn't! You tricked me!"

"Oh, but I didn't. You see, I had made a deal with someone else before I met you."

"What?" Anna spluttered. "With whom?"

"With your Aunt Freya."

"Why?" Anna was barely able get the word out.

"Because I needed your sister out of the way, dearie. She wasn't able to control her powers yet, but even if she had learned to control them, she would have been a threat to me. She was too strong."

"What do you mean: she was too strong? More powerful than you?" Regina interjected.

Rumple hadn't a chance to respond, but his expression was meaningful enough. Regina leaned back in her seat, shaken. The fact that apparently even her mentor was powerless against Elsa, was unbelievable.

Anna resumed her accusation, "What did you do to her? Did you give her to Freya and Hans?" she was livid.

"Anna, sit, please; you too, Kristoff. I'll make some coffee," Mary Margaret offered, trying to ease the situation. Anna sat on the edge of the chair, never taking her eyes off Rumple for a second.

"When you came to the Enchanted Forest, I had already made a deal with Freya. She told me she wanted to have your sister imprisoned, so Hans and she could rule over Arendelle undisturbed."

"What did she give to you in exchange?"

"Nothing that concerns you now," he replied rudely.

"We need to know everything, imp!" Kristoff barked.

"Well, it was just a rare magical object."

"What was it?" Emma asked.

"A mirror."

Anna's face paled, she obviously knew what he was talking about. Emma looked surprised. "And this... Freya gave it to you?"

"Yes. Once I got Elsa, I imprisoned her in a magical jar."

"You did what?" Anna shouted, almost spilling over the coffee mug Snow had just placed in front of her.

"I made a deal and I always keep my word."

"You didn't, not with me. You gave me a magical object to bring me to the same realm as Kristoff but it didn't work, I remained in the Enchanted Forest!"

"Well, maybe that's because he was in the Enchanted Forest as well," Rumple pointed out, waving a hand in a flourishing, dismissing way.

The redhead's eyes widened. "You knew Kristoff was in the Enchanted Forest and you told me nothing?"

"And why should I? It wasn't in my best interests," Rumple stated smoothly.

"Why did you want the mirror? What was so special about it?" Emma inquired.

"It can control my sister's powers. If used against her it freezes her magic completely. Actually, it can freeze any kind of magic."

"Not light magic," Rumple interrupted.

"But my sister..."

"Your sister has got dark magic."

"But she's the purest soul in all the land!" Regina couldn't help but snort. If she was as pure as Mary Margaret, she couldn't be that much of a saint.

"She was born with ice powers. It is an ancient curse that has threatened your dynasty for centuries," Mr Gold explained. "Freya was cursed too."

Anna seemed lost. "I never met my aunt. My mother used to say she had turned down an evil path."

Regina tensed. "Sorry, can you make a bit of clarity on this family matter, please?"

"The Ice Curse has run in Anna's family blood line for centuries. No one knows what happened to get the royal family cursed, or who did it. What I know is that every first born female inherits the powers at birth. This results in typical physical features: fair hair, almost white, pale skin and ice blue eyes. The cursed women have a body temperature lower than ours, for the ice turns their blood colder than human blood; otherwise they can't hope to survive against the cold. They can live in an ice palace or survive a snowy storm without problems."

"What's Freya's issue with Elsa? Has she imprisoned her only to be queen?" Hook demanded.

"My aunt Freya was the eldest of three sisters. My mother Idina was the middle daughter, while my aunt Primrose was the youngest. Apparently, when Freya started turning evil, my grandparents refused to let her take the throne as it should have been her right. After my grandfather's death my mother was crowned queen instead, while my aunt Primrose married King Thomas of Corona."

"Wait, Corona... you mean Rapunzel's Corona?" Emma blurted out.

"Yes. She's my cousin."

"Seriously?!" the blonde lamented in exasperation, before Hook gave her a little nudge, with a patronizing expression on his face. "Calm down, princess Leia," he whispered, a smirk curving his lips.

"That's all I know about my family's history. I didn't even know Elsa was cursed," Anna confessed.

"Well, she is. However Freya's aim isn't just to take Elsa's place in ruling the kingdom. The worst part of the curse is that, when another girl in your family is born with the powers, she is also the downfall of the previous Ice Queen."

"How is this possible?" Regina wondered. Then her eyes light up in realization. "Unless..."

"The more Elsa's powers grow, the more Freya gets weak."

Anna looked puzzled. "What does this mean?"

"It means that Freya wasn't looking for Elsa only to dethrone her. She wanted to kill her in order to keep her own powers," Regina explained.

"You gave Elsa to Freya?" Anna asked hotly to Mr Gold.

"I didn't. The jar in which I imprisoned your sister was enough to keep her from weakening your aunt. She was blocked inside of it - frozen inside of it, for want of a better term."

Anna didn't laugh, nor did anyone else. Gold clearly wasn't expecting them to.

"Where is she now? What did you do with her?" Anna asked him.

"I have no idea, dearie. You see, when the first curse washed over the Enchanted Forest, the jar was brought here in my shop. Now, however, it isn't there anymore."

Belle looked pensive. "Have they robbed that as well, Rumple?"

"I don't think so."

"Wait, someone broke into your shop?" Emma asked.

"Well, that's new," Regina commented ironically.

Gold sighed. "Yes."

"And they took Elsa's jar?" Emma continued.

"They didn't take that. The jar was there a few days ago, I remember it clearly. Then, all of a sudden, it was gone."

Snow and Charming frowned at the same time. Those two mimicked one another's actions so much they looked like parrots. It was so annoying.

"It was you and Hook who brought it back with you, Miss Swan," Regina started.

"What? I took no jar with me, Regina!" Emma protested.

"She's right, love," Hook piped in. Emma glared at him. "Remember that jar I took from the cabinet when we were in the Dark One's dungeon?"

"Oh shit," Emma murmured. Regina was thankful Henry wasn't in the room.

"This means you brought my sister back to this realm!" Anna exclaimed.

"Apparently, they did," Regina commented dryly. She knew Emma had made another mess, besides bringing back Marian with her, and what they had just discovered only proved her right.

"She must be here somewhere" Anna was blubbering excitedly. "This explains the weather!"

Rumple didn't look pleased at all. Regina snorted, "Yes, a frightened girl who can accidentally freeze everyone's asses off is just what I needed right now, thank you."

Mary Margaret bit her lip in apprehension, before speaking. "We need to help her. She must be out there somewhere, scared and confused... she needs her family to be with her."

"How do we find her?" Charming wondered.

"Follow the ice," Emma muttered darkly.

"Actually Regina and I happened upon a quite strange scene last night," Robin started. Emma raised a quizzical eyebrow. "We followed a frozen path that led to the barn where Zelena's portal opened. It was completely frozen over, the barn I mean."

"That's why I thought you brought Elsa back with you. There's no other explanation."

"And we saw something else as well," Robin added. "There was someone else in the barn, but they fled as soon as we discovered them."

"Did you manage to see something?" Anna asked.

"Only the hem of a blue dress."

"It's her," Ana let out a shaky breath, gripping Kristoff's hand tightly. "It has to be her."

"Well if it's just her then -" Charming began.

"Actually, the issue we're dealing with is much bigger," Rumple interjected.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that when they broke into my shop, they robbed something valuable - to Elsa and to someone else as well."

"I don't understand," said Anna.

"They stole the mirror."

"You think Elsa has got it?" Belle asked him, wondering if the Queen of Arendelle might want it to avoid being enslaved again.

"No, the mirror was given to me by Princess Freya when we made our deal. It's usually passed down from generation to generation, to the young women who inherited the ice powers. She gave it reluctantly to me and she's the only one who knows I had it in my possession."

Anna gasped, "You mean...?"

"Exactly what you think, dearie. The Ice Queen must be in Storybrooke."

The meeting ended as soon as they cleared everything out. Now they knew the whole story it was easier to understand things. However they couldn't act until they found Elsa or Freya.

Regina exited Mary Margaret's apartment with Robin at her heels. He had not taken his eyes off her for a minute during the meeting and a sense of dread and foreboding invaded her stomach.

"What is it, Robin? What do you want?" she snapped at him, incapable of holding it any longer.

"I spoke with Marian last night," he commenced, his blue eyes boring right into hers. She felt she might melt under his steady gaze; instead she forced herself to maintain some composure. "Although calling it speaking would be quite an understatement, she practically shouted at me."

Regina didn't utter a word.

"She told me something that put me off," he confessed.

"What did she tell you?" she croaked.

He stood silent for a few moments before replying. "She told me that you were the one who imprisoned her, back in our land."

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**Stay tuned for the Robin/Regina talk! More on Freya, Hans and the mirror in the following chapters!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, my beta had a busy life (thank you again, Fi!)**

**Hopefully you'll forgive me.**

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**Chapter Seven**

She stood in front of him, completely speechless. "I..." she started.

Robin stepped towards her, placing his hands on her upper arms. "Regina," he began carefully, "Is it true?"

"I don't know," she answered sincerely, her throat tight. "It is... possible."

"What do you mean it is possible?"

"I hurt many people, Robin. Marian wouldn't be the first nor the last."

Robin stared at her, aghast, his mouth hanging open in disbelief and his blue eyes wider than ever. He still hadn't loosened his grip on her, though he appeared so shocked she could probably vanish in front of him and he wouldn't notice. However, Regina fought the urge flee, to hide from everyone and everything, to hide from the voices in her head, shouting she had been a fool to believe she could change, to believe even for a second that she could turn her back against evil. She couldn't run away from her past, it always caught up with her in the end.

She could cleanse herself from all the dirt that burdened her heart, fake a lovely smile to cover up the rottenness inside her, but she would never be able to get rid of the darkness.

Deep down, she had always known that this day would come, the day in which the pressure of her past would be too much and Robin would snap like a cane. Her past was a cold, merciless wind, and Robin was only a fragile human.

"What, are you still here?" she burst out harshly, snapping out of her thoughts. Why didn't he berate her, shout at her until his lungs went weak and his head started spinning? Why was he still there, how could he bear to stand so close to the woman who had destroyed his happy ending?

"Where else would I be?" he sounded genuinely confused, something which irritated Regina. How could he be so naive?

"Anything but here," she replied and, for a moment, her voice sounded miserable. "The question is not where you _would_, but where you _should_ be, Robin."

"Regina -"

"Why don't you just leave me be? I've messed up your life enough as it is."

"You didn't -"

"Yes, I _did_!" she shouted, not caring if they were in the middle of the street for everyone to hear. "I _fucking_ ruined your life! I killed your wife; I'm the reason why Roland is an orphan, I'm the reason he doesn't even remember his own mother!"

He stood quiet for a moment before replying, "Roland is not an orphan anymore."

Regina snorted loudly. "Robin, I ruined your life from the moment I set eyes on you, that day at the tavern. I chose vengeance and hatred over love and forgiveness. If I had met you that day, you wouldn't have become an outlaw, you wouldn't have..." she took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "I made both my life and yours a living hell."

"You didn't." She opened her mouth to retort but he squeezed her arms to prevent her from interrupting him again. "Regina, your choices didn't define my life. It was I who chose to become a thief. I made my choices, you made yours. And don't start over again with hatred and vengeance because I know very well what you're talking about."

"No, you don't," her tone was icy cold.

He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Please stop acting like you're the only one who's ever known darkness!"

"Excuse me?"

"You always judge yourself so harshly, like you are the only one who has ever walked down an evil path... well, you're not."

She arched an eyebrow, her upper lip curling in outrage. "And I suppose you know what darkness is."

"It wasn't easy for me when Roland and I lost Marian. I sought revenge; I thought I'd find comfort in hatred. I had changed so much my men found it hard to recognize me; I wasn't Robin anymore, just a grief-stricken man driven by anger and regret."

Regina swallowed hard at his words. She knew exactly what he was talking about: for years she had been another woman, mercilessly driven by anger and bloodlust. She wasn't Regina, but the Evil Queen. Her grief and power had erased her identity, her compassion, her naiveté. There wasn't room for Regina anymore in a world of darkness and hatred.

"You see, that's the problem," she started, once she managed to recover. "You're Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, who robs the rich and gives to the poor - the kind-hearted and brave Robin of Locksley! People will always love you despite what you do, evil or not, but the same doesn't go for me."

He opened his mouth to reply but she interrupted him. "In spite of my attempts at changing, people will always see me as the Evil Queen: the merciless woman who tortured and killed their loved ones, the tyrant who made their lives hell."

She lowered her head and stepped back from him. The whole situation was becoming unbearable, she had to get away before she broke down and poured out her whole heart in front of him. She had already opened herself to him once and look where it had gotten her. He shouldn't see her so vulnerable again.

"Not for me. You aren't that to me." The simple sincerity in his words made her feel like crap.

"Why are you so adamant about trusting me, Robin?" she snapped at him. "I'm a terrible person. I deserve nothing but to be left alone!"

"Because I love you." His response was so quick she hadn't the time to brace herself. It hit her like a train at full speed, knocking the breath out of her.

She gasped aloud, stumbling back. "You can't," she babbled. "You can't possibly... love me. I'm... I'm..."

He approached her and took her by the arms. His touch burned her skin, despite the freezing weather. "You are not. All those monikers do not apply to the Regina I know."

"Oh, they do, "she snuffled. "Apparently you don't know me that well," she added in a cold, distant tone. There it was again, her walls, rising at incredible speed between them. Suddenly she didn't feel so hot anymore, only numb... and tired. She stepped away from him, putting space between them.

"Regina, don't do that again," his voice pleaded.

"Do what?" she asked him rudely.

"Run away."

"I do not run away."

"But you are, right now. You are running away from me and from everyone else."

"I -"

"You don't need to. Not with me."

_Of course I do._ "You don't know what you're talking about," she replied instead.

"Regina, don't."

"I _killed_ your _wife_, Robin! Doesn't it shake you even for a bit?"

"Yes, it does. Greatly," he admitted unwillingly.

She sucked in a breath. "Then you have your answer. I'm not the one for you."

"Regina, you didn't let me finish," he started.

She ignored him. "It's time for you to go, Robin. I had enough."

But he hadn't. To him it was never enough, it was never over. "If you think I'm going to let you shut yourself away from me you're wrong!"

"Watch me," she challenged in a slow, dangerous tone.

She turned to walk away from him but he caught her arm, spinning her to face him again. She protested loudly, yanking her arm from his grasp with a violent tug.

"Regina, please. I don't want this."

"And you think I wanted this? Oh yes, I couldn't _wait_ for my happy ending to be taken from me AGAIN!" she was practically screaming hysterically now. "Don't you dare speak to me about what you wanted or not because you know what, Robin? You have _everything_. You have friends who love you, a son for whose love you never had to fight tooth and nail and you even got your long lost wife back, why could you possibly want more? I'm just a side bump on the road, a flaw in the whole process!"

"You're not!" he protested angrily. "You stubborn, infuriating woman, don't you see how much I care for you? Why do you keep pushing me away, like you did in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Because you lost the right to care for me the moment Marian returned." She sounded so heartbroken while uttering those words that his heart shattered to pieces.

Regina walked away determined not to turn to look at him, determined not to let him make his way into her heart _ever _again.  
He called to her and she slowly stopped walking, a furious fight going on between her head (screaming not to turn back) and her heart (pleading her to run right into his arms).  
In the end, she turned wordlessly to him, her face an unreadable mask.

"Please, don't let me lose you again."

She shook her head sadly. "Oh, you haven't lost me, Robin. It is I who lost you."  
With that she was gone, leaving a hollow emptiness in his heart, where she had been.

Robin walked through the forest feeling a great sense of void inside. His conversation with Regina had left him speechless, shaken. He still couldn't believe that, more than thirty years before, she had been the one to kill Marian.

He had told the queen he had lost his wife during a job; however he had omitted that she died while trying to help Snow White. He hadn't told Regina that because he didn't want to displease her and make her feel guilty. Back then he thought black knights had killed Marian because she stood in their way, helping Snow escape, but he would never have imagined that the queen herself had ordered Marian's execution.

The mere thought made him shudder violently. It was a cruel joke of destiny: his soulmate killing his wife, it was as if his future had tried to erase his past.

Robin thought about Regina's expression when she learned that yet another bad deed done in the past had caught up with her. She looked so miserable while she anxiously waited for him to break up with her, to cast her aside and disregard her as a monster, a killer, a tyrant.  
But he could never do that. The old Robin might have, the angry, violent and drunk Robin he had been during his first months without Marian. However, despite her past action hurting him now more than ever, he knew he could never judge her. Not when he knew her so deeply and intimately, not when he knew what she had been through to live up to the expectation of others, not when he knew how much she had suffered and lost.

The Regina he knew now would never be capable of this. The Regina he knew was a woman broken by the innumerable challenges and losses of her life, a woman who fought every day against the darkness trying to drag her down. The Robin of today knew how hard it was to fight against something much stronger than oneself; despite what Regina claimed, he had been, once, in the same situation. If only she would let him in.

Letting out a deep sigh, Robin continued walking until he reached camp. He knew there was a lot to do today as he had made plans to move his family and band of Merry Men to Granny's.  
Friar Tuck was the first to meet him, his round, ruddy face lightening up in a jovial smile at the sight of the archer. He was telling him everything was ready for them to move from camp when a small presence hit Robin full force in the legs.

"Papa!" his little man squealed.

"Hello Roland," he greeted, crouching down to muss his curly hair. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Roland nodded, "Yes, I eated with Mama. She said you was out on a job. Do you want breakfast, Papa?"

"I'd like to, little man. Where's your mother?"

"I'm here, Robin." Marian emerged from the trees wearing a sheepish look on her face.

"Good morning," Robin greeted in a low, careful tone.

Tuck, who had been watching the exchange, took Roland by the hand, asking him to help with the packing. When their child eagerly accepted, the friar disappeared in the midst of the tents, leaving them alone.

"Robin, I'm sorry for what happened last night," Marian commenced, not tearing her eyes away from him for one moment.

"Yes, I'm sorry too."

"No, I... I behaved really badly. It's just that I do not trust that woman at all."

"You made it perfectly clear," he assured her with a half-smile, trying to make humor of it.

"Can we take a walk?" she suggested seriously.

Robin seemed taken aback by her suggestion, "Of course".

They walked through the woods, Marian keeping a respectful distance from him. "I can see it, you know," she started after a long silence, broken only by the rustling and creaking of leaves on the ground.  
Robin didn't speak, waiting for her to go on, his eyes staring at the ground like he wanted to bore a hole into it.

"You are acting strangely since we found each other again, Robin." She stopped, forcing him to look directly in her eyes. He could see so much of Roland there.  
"I know you care for me but... you also care for her, don't you?" she asked gently, all the irritation and snappy comments of the previous night long gone.

"I do care for Regina, yes," he replied truthfully.

Sorrow filled his wife's eyes, though she did her best to hide it. He reached for her, squeezing her hand. She wasn't looking at him anymore now. "This doesn't mean I don't care for you anymore, Marian," he said softly.

"I know you care. It's just that... you don't seem to care as much as you once did."

He let out a helpless sigh and the sound of it pierced her heart painfully.

"After you died I... I couldn't bear to live without you."

"So it is true, what Emma said to me. I died."

"Yes," his voice came out in a broken whisper.

"She killed me." She delivered in a flat, matter-of-factly voice. It wasn't a question, but a simple statement. It made his blood run cold.

"It is possible. We will never know."

"Because I'm here, now. And I shouldn't be here. I should be dead."

"Don't speak like that -"

"How long have I been gone?" she asked in a strained voice, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"Marian -"

"Answer me, Robin," she interrupted him softly.

When he replied, his voice trembled and his hands were shaking. "More than thirty years."

He heard Marian's sharp intake of breath and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. He spoke with difficulty, his voice overwhelmed by emotion. "I know it is difficult to believe but the population of the Enchanted Forest went through many a curse: time has been stopped, time has been altered. That's why Roland is still four when he should be thirty-something, that's why you feel as if only a few days have passed instead of thirty years."

His wife looked at him at a loss for words; he knew it was a difficult thing to swallow. He felt that maybe breaking the news of his entanglement with Regina would be a bit too much information for her to cope with, although she had certainly sensed something about it.

He stepped closer to reach for her but she backed away from him. "I need some time alone, Robin."

"Marian, I'm sorry -"

"_Please_," she emphasized.

"Yes, of course," he relented. She turned her back to him.

"I'll come for you when we're ready to go." She only nodded in response.

He hesitated for a while but, since Marian didn't change her mind, he made to leave.

He had walked a few paces when she called him back. "Robin," she whispered, alarmed. He turned swiftly towards her. She was pointing at the trees, as if someone was there.

Robin stepped further towards her in order to see what was happening, hands ready to grasp an arrow.

What he saw left him open mouthed, staring.

The trees started turning white as the ice enveloped them in its crushing embrace, their leaves shriveling for the cold. A tall, slender girl had just emerged from the woods, her head held high although the fearful light in her eyes betrayed her regal composure.

Robin released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

They had found Elsa - or better, she had found them.

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**Sooo, what do you guys think of it? Please drop me a line! ;)**


	8. Chapter Eight

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but school and driving lessons got in the way (well, I got my driving licence out of this mess at least). I can't promise I'll update more often but I'll do my best.**

**Thanks to everyone who supports this story it means SO SO much to me. And thanks to my beta Fi, of course. **

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**Chapter Eight.**

Robin moved towards her but Elsa raised a warning hand, her expression as menacing as possible.

"Stay away," she uttered, her voice strained.

"We mean you no harm," Robin stated in a careful tone.

"Who are you?" Elsa asked, her chin raised.

"Robin of Locksley. This is my wife, Marian," he explained, gesturing towards the woman in question.

"What are you doing here?"

"We live in the forest," Marian uttered before he had a chance to reply. "Who are you? Do you need help?" He knew her intentions were genuine, however he cringed at her question, knowing the queen of Arendelle would surely go on the defensive.

As he had predicted, Elsa stiffened, taken aback by the question. "That is none of your business".

"Please, we just want to help you," the archer pleaded.

He made to move towards her but Elsa stopped him once again "Don't move any further or you'll regret it!" she threatened.

"Elsa, please." He instantly regretted uttering her name.

The Ice Queen glared at him. "How do you know my name?"

"I... " Robin stuttered, looking to a helpless and confused Marian for help.

"You're in cahoots with them aren't you?" Elsa accused him.

"With who?"

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," she hissed. "Is this some kind of trap for Hans to get to me?"

"I don't work for Hans, Elsa," he answered.

"Then how do you know my name?"

"Your sister Anna told me about you."

"Anna is here?" Elsa's mask slipped away for a second before her features hardened again. "Where is she? What have you people done with her?"

"She is safe. Kristoff is with her. We were trying to help her find you."

"You know Kristoff too?"

"Yes. I actually met him several years ago and helped him in his quest to find Anna. We're friends," he added, hoping the queen would come round.

Elsa shifted her gaze between Robin and Marian, wondering what to do.

"Elsa, what I want is to help you, all of you. Kristoff is my friend, but he's only happy if Anna is, and right now the only thing your sister wants is to find you. Please, come with us so we can take you to her."

"You can trust us," Marian offered hopefully, with a warm smile. She stepped towards the frightened girl and, when Elsa didn't move away from her, placed a tentative hand on her arm.

"Alright," the queen of Arendelle gave in, bowing her head. Robin smiled widely.  
Marian locked fingers with her and nodded encouragingly, bringing her closer to Robin.

"I'm sorry for behaving like I did," Elsa apologized. "I'm not used to trusting strangers."

"I understand," Robin said. "You don't have to worry anymore, Elsa. You're close to meeting your sister." The prospect making the queen smile.

She made to speak again but Robin's eyes widened, "GET DOWN!" he hollered, bringing both women down with him.

The impact with the cold hard ground took the breath out of her and when Elsa raised her head a thick fragment of ice was stuck into a nearby tree. She quickly turned to see what had happened, her eyes landing on two figures emerging from the trees, advancing into the clearing.  
"Freya," she breathed, fear taking hold of her. "You have to go away," she urged her two new friends.

"Why?" Marian asked.

"There's no time to explain. She is dangerous!"

"What does she want?" Marian asked.

Elsa sighed, "Me."

"I won't leave you here alone to fend for yourself," Robin stated.

Elsa tried to protest but he cut her off. "Marian, take Elsa with you. Find Emma or David, whoever can help. Send them over here, I'll need backup."

"I can't possibly allow you to do this," Elsa argued.

"What about Roland?" Marian wondered.

"He is safe with Little John and Tuck. Now GO!" he shouted more forcefully than he had intended.

Marian quickly took hold of Elsa's arm, who started running away with her, but not without looking back at the archer in regret.

Robin turned towards the two figures, an arrow in his hand, his bow drawn.  
Elsa's nemeses were a man and a woman, both dressed like they belonged to royalty.

"She is escaping," Hans anxiously pointed out to his companion. "Why are you so calm? We need to get to her!" he stressed.

"You'll need to get past me first!" Robin shouted.

The woman's face contorted in an amused smirk, making her beautiful visage appear ugly due to her barely concealed rage. She slowly traced the contours of the small mirror she was holding, looking pensive.  
"I don't see much of a problem," she replied in a soft, feminine voice. "Prepare yourself to face the music, Hans. Let's see if the thief can dance as well."

Ruby placed three steaming mugs on the counter, smiling at them "Here you are, three hot chocolates with whipped cream and cinnamon. Gran is making pancakes."

"Thanks, Ruby," Emma mumbled.

Henry eagerly tucked in to his breakfast.

"Slow down, mate, you don't want to choke on all those good things," Hook warned, sliding into the booth next to Henry.

The teenager smiled mischievously at him and started chewing slower, before taking a sip from his own mug.  
"Why so blue, Mom?"

"Yeah, why so blue, Swan?" Hook piped in.

"It's nothing," Emma answered, clearly avoiding the subject.

"It doesn't seem like nothing to me," Hook pointed out.

"Me neither," Henry agreed.

"What are you two, bloody parrots?" the blonde snapped.

"No need to be so defensive, love."

Emma lowered her head, staring at her steaming mug while absentmindedly opening and closing her hand. "Sorry. Just leave me be, you guys, alright?" She remained silent for a while, playing with the spoon in her cup, before announcing, "I need to go to the ladies'."

"I think it might be about that business with my other Mom," Henry whispered to Killian, as soon as Emma disappeared around the corner. "I reckon she feels guilty for having brought Robin Hood's wife back."

Hook frowned. "But we couldn't know who she was, she never told us her name," the pirate countered.

"I know, and she knows that too. I don't think she regrets saving Marian, but she feels sorry for my Mom."

Killian stared into space for a while before answering. "Do you think...?"

The jingling of the doorbell interrupted him. They both turned to see a breathless Marian entering the diner, along with another young woman, beautiful in her light blue robes.

"I need to speak to Leia," Marian urged, looking at Hook.

"What happened?"

"Robin and I met Elsa in the woods; she was being hunted by two other people. Robin told me to come here to ask for help. He said he needs backup."

"We need to get Emma," Hook mumbled, before hollering a loud "Swaaan!"

Emma appeared almost immediately. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, taking in Elsa's appearance.

"Not much time to explain, love, we have to go. Robin needs our help."

"What?" she asked confused, making her way over to them.

"They found me in the woods, I was being chased. I came here with Marian but Robin stayed behind to fight my aggressors," Elsa answered.

Emma inhaled deeply before switching to sheriff's mode. "Ok," she started, reaching for her gun. "Henry, go to Regina's. She can keep you safe."

"But..." the boy protested.

"Do as I say, kid. Marian, you'll stay here with Elsa."

"I'll come with you, my husband needs help!" the other woman replied.

"No chance in hell. You stay here and protect Elsa, Besides, we need someone to alert David. Tell Granny, she'll know what to do." She finally turned towards Hook. "Killian, you come with me."

"You needn't have asked, love," he commented, following her out the door.

A knock on the door interrupted Regina's musings. She groaned lowering her cup of coffee and moving to the hallway to shout "Go away!"

A muffled voice came from behind the front door." Mom! It's me, Henry! Open up, please!"

She silently waited for him to go away, unsure on what to do. However when he knocked again, more insistently this time, Regina had no choice but to open the door.  
The instant relief she felt upon seeing her son's face made her forget all her troubles. She didn't even know why she had hesitated before welcoming him in her house, in _his_ house. "Henry," she whispered, emotion leaving her breathless.

"Mom," a bright smile lit up his face and he launched himself at her, making her gasp, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Regina hugged him back, reveling in her boy's warmth and familiar scent.

She hadn't realized how much she was missing her son until that hollow place in her dark, resilient heart felt full again, until the joy of having him in her arms made her feel grateful for the few good things she had in her life.

He raised his head to look at her after a few seconds, still locked in her embrace.

"I know this is not a great moment for me to be here but..." he started uneasily.

She slowly let go of him, staring at him seriously. "That's nonsense, Henry. You're always welcome here, you know that," she reminded him softly.

"I know," he whispered awkwardly, not sure on how to phrase what he was trying to say. "It's just that I thought you didn't want to see me for a while and..." he swallowed before continuing, "I didn't know if coming here was the right thing to do."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry," Regina apologized in a concerned voice that betrayed signs of tiredness.

"It's alright," he reassured her knowingly. "I'm not angry at you, I'm just worried."

Regina made to protest but he interrupted her. "I missed you, though."

Her eyes shined with tears at his statement and she caressed his cheek with a grateful smile on her face. "I missed you too, baby. I'm so sorry if you felt left by yourself. Please know I could never forget about you, I love you more than anything and I'll always be there for you."

"You don't have to say it, Mom. I know. I love you too."

She kissed his head softly and smiled through his hair.  
"Are you hungry? Have you had breakfast yet?" She asked looking down at him. Regina smiled slightly looking at him, realizing how fast her boy was growing up - soon she wouldn't have to look down at him, he would be the same height as her any day now.

"I haven't."

"Good, how does pancakes sound?"

"Awesome."

Robin kept his position, bow drawn, and every muscle in his body tense.

The woman advanced on him, a malicious grin on her face.

"Look what we have here, Robin of Locksley, son of Walter Locksley," Freya commented, making his blood run cold. How on earth did she know who he was?

Despite his disbelief upon discovering she knew exactly who he was, Robin maintained a straight face. "Don't come any closer," he warned, "or I'll shoot and, trust me, I never miss."

"So presumptuous," she commented with a teasing smile. "I didn't understand how the Queen could possibly like you so much, but now... now I do."

"Regina?" the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

She smiled even more, obviously pleased she had caused a reaction in him.

"Why so surprised, Locksley?" she wondered, feigning innocence. "Don't worry, I know everything about you, your charming son, your sweet wife and your impulsive lover," she proclaimed while running her fingers along the edge of the small mirror she was holding in her hand.

He didn't know why but he had a strange feeling about it. "I've seen your heart, Robin Hood, and it's mine," she murmured, tilting her head while her icy blue eyes pierced his soul.

"You know nothing about me," he spat.

The mirror seemed to glow in her hand, an odd aura radiating from it.  
"You stay away from them, do you hear?" he added mendaciously.

"Oh, but I don't want anything from them. You see, my only concern is to get reunited with my adorable niece as soon as possible and, right now, you're standing in the way."  
She moved her hand swiftly and Robin was thrown violently against a tree, his bow and arrow scattered a few feet from him.

"Leave the archer be, Freya. Elsa must be long away from us already," her companion urged her.

"Do not fret, Hans. We'll get to her soon enough. Right now I have more pressing matters to attend to," she concluded looking over at a helpless Robin.

Regina flipped the last pancake with regal prowess and looked sideways at her son, who was casually leaning against the counter, doing his best to conceal the hungry expression on his face.  
"Don't worry, pancakes are almost ready," she reassured him with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, take your time, Mom," he commented, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Said the one who's been ogling the pan for minutes," she mocked, grinning.

The grumbling sound of his stomach betrayed him and he gave up all pretense. "I hope those pancakes will be ready very soon," he admitted, making Regina chuckle.

She leaned in to kiss his cheek, whispering, "And ready they are."

"Perfect!" he exclaimed, making his mother laugh more.

Regina placed the stack of pancakes on the table, taking the opportunity to kiss her son again and smiling at how his nose wrinkled up in embarrassment.

She then turned to open the kitchen cabinet, standing on her tiptoes to retrieve some syrup. Regina released a soft moan when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her back. She grimaced and steadied herself against the kitchen counter.

"Mom, is everything alright?" Henry asked.

"Yes, everything's fine, sweetie," she lied, massaging her back lightly.  
"Here," she said, placing the syrup in front of her son, "tuck in."

With a satisfied grin on his face, Henry proceeded to do just that.

Robin tried hopelessly to scamper off the ground, but another gust of wind made him fall on his knees, knocking the air out of his lungs.

"You foolish thief, you think you can outsmart me? You don't stand a chance."

He raised his head, looking at her defiantly. Her mirror was engulfed in bright white light, her icy blue eyes shining more than ever. His insides twisted at the sight and a strange feeling of apprehension and anticipation took hold of him.

"Believe me, you haven't seen the last of me, he stated," raising himself from the ground with difficulty.

She let out a maniacal laugh, her expression so similar to Regina's when she had told him she wanted to destroy her sister, back in the Enchanted Forest. That woman was driven by sheer bloodlust; he knew she wouldn't stop at anyone or anything until she got what she wanted.  
He had promised Elsa he would protect her and take her safely to her sister – and he would not go back on that promise.

The mad woman in front of him needed to be stopped at all costs, not only for Kristoff's sake but also for his Roland, for Marian... and for Regina.

"So, how are things going in the rest of the world - that is, Storybrooke?" Regina asked.

"Things are... great," he said without much conviction.

She didn't buy it, she knew him too well. "Henry, is there something you need to tell me?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The thing is... I was having breakfast at Granny's with Mom and Killian but we had a bit of a problem."

Regina furrowed her brow; that didn't sound like good news. "What kind of problem?"

"Robin found Elsa in the woods."

"Well, that's wonderful news, we resolved the problem with Anna and her mountain man," Regina commented.

Henry bit his lip, looking so much like his adoptive mother in that moment. "It's not that easy."

Regina frowned. "Henry, sweetheart, I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You see, Elsa was being chased... by Freya and Hans, according to Marian's description."

"Marian? What happened...?"

Her eyes widened suddenly, "Is Roland okay?"

"Yes, he is. He's with Marian and Elsa at Granny's."

Regina swallowed, fearing the answer to her next question. "And Robin?"

"He's... he's remained behind to fight Freya and Hans."

"What do you want from me?" he asked, still laying on the ground, feeling like a puppet in her hands.

"You see, what my friend Hans here seems to have forgotten is that before we get to Elsa, I need to get rid of one little bump in the road, that is, you. And while I'm at it, why shouldn't I enjoy myself a little bit in the process?"

Robin frowned in confusion, his eyes squinting against the blinding light coming from her mirror.  
She then spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Don't worry, dear, you won't feel anything."

And after that, all he could see was white.  
The woman was right though, he didn't feel a thing.

* * *

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